Davis, Nitros finish on high note

WALNUT — Among the locals who competed at Saturday’s 54th annual Mt. San Antonio College Relays from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Crescenta Valley High and Glendale, the Nitros’ Michael Davis may have stood tallest.

The multi-sport star competed in three competitions, highlighted by his entry in the invitational 100- and 200-meter dashes, as well as his role in the only local win of the night.

The lone local victory came in the second-to-last race of the evening, courtesy of the Glendale boys’ 1600-meter relay team.

The Nitros, who weren’t even listed in the media guide, stormed to a win in the second heat of the open 1,600 relay in a time of 3 minutes 27.44 seconds.

Davis, Carlos Navarro, Jeff Massin and Tristan Pacba romped to an easy victory, nearly four seconds ahead of runner-up Nipomo (3:31.32).

Glendale’s time was third best overall, behind Chino Hills (3:25.65) and Long Beach Jordan
(3:26.04).

Davis’ top individual effort came in the 200, which he ran last and sprinted to fourth place in a time of 21.74 seconds.

“I’m just trying to get better times,” Davis said. “That’s always the goal.”

Davis was within less than half a second of race-winner Khalfani Muhammad (21.32) of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

Muhammad proved a nemisis earlier in Davis’ second event, the invitational 100, where Davis was consistent in running to a fifth-place mark of 10.79 in a race won by Muhammad (10.55).

Davis’ mark matched his previous best time set two weeks earlier at the Arcadia Invitational.

“The heat didn’t really affect me, I just wasn’t ready for the [race] speed,” said Davis, who ran in 90 degree-heat. “I just have to run full speed and not think as much.”

Part of Davis’ busy day included guiding the Nitros to a second-place finish in the fifth heat of the open 400 relay.

Davis, along with Massin, Navarro and Pacba, raced to a mark of 43.81, which trailed only Elk Grove Franklin (43.53).

Overall, the Nitros were sixth and won the local dual with Crescenta Valley’s four of Byung Kim, David Lee, Steve Lee and Christ Ordookhanian, who finished sixth in their heat (47.05) and 44th overall.

Earning a medal at Mt. SAC is no small accomplishment and Glendale’s Sophia Amodia was aware of that.

The Nitros’ hurdler earned two bronzes, the first coming when she finished third in her first heat of the girls’ seeded 300 hurdles with a time of 44.98, which was sixth overall.

“This feels great. Winning a medal, whether it’s first, second or third is always an honor here,” said Amodia, who topped her previous personal-best time of 45.2.

Amodia later found the energy to again take third in her heat of the seeded 100 in 15.27, which was 10th-best overall.

One surprise entry was Crescenta Valley in the girls’ seeded 4x1,600, as the Falcons, who were supposed to run Friday, took third in 22:18.48 in a race won by Xavier College Prep (21:37.41).

The Falcons’ squad consisted of Brooke Moultrie, Hannah Ruby, Megan Melnyk and Cali King.

Crescenta Valley’s relay success carried over, as both the boys’ and girls’ seeded sprint medley teams earned fifth place.

Courtney Iannello, Emmie Walker, Kayliegh Carrillo and King ran to a mark of 4:20.80, while James Maturan, Parker Averill, Alex Damla and Matt Williams turned in a time of 3:40.88.

Falcons’ hurdler Josh Straschewski also delivered a top-10 effort, as he finished ninth in the seeded 110-meter hurdles in 15.69.

“It felt cool that I was able to push myself and stay with the field,” Straschewski said. “I have a little back problem, but I couldn’t miss running at Mt. SAC.”

Not to be forgotten was the effort of the Falcons’ Walker and Emily Beglarian, who both tied for third in the open high jump with a mark of five feet.

The Glendale boys 4x1,600 relay squad of Chris Canlas, Josh Carlos, Bradley Day and Brian Shieh kicked off Saturday’s fesitivites with a sixth-place finish in the open event with a mark of 18:41.07, a bit off the pace of victor Moorpark (18:17.87).

Sacred Heart’s Kayla Montgomery, Drew Washington, Stephanie Vargas and Noelle Niederhaus turned in their school’s finest effort in finishing sixth in the seeded 1,600 sprint medley with a mark of 4:22.19.

The race was won by Littleton of Colorado in 4:04.41.